Faulkner 12th in Gold Nugget
Katie Faulkner of Homer spent Sunday in Anchorage, rubbing elbows with Alaska's athletic elite as she joined hundreds of competitors in the Alaska Women's Gold Nugget Triathlon.

The 14-year-old Faulkner finished 12th overall out of a field of more than 900 women.

With a time of 54 minutes, 20 seconds, Faulkner was less than six minutes behind the three-time race winner, Shannon Donley. She was less than two minutes off a top-five pace and easily won the 10-14 age group, finishing with more than a 10 minute lead on the next girl her age.

The race, which starts competitors in the Bartlett pool then moves them to a biking leg before they finish on the run, is one of Alaska's premier women's competition and draws competitors from across the state as well as Outside.

Ida Martin and Theresa Halpin also represented Homer in the race. Martin placed 34th (57:54) and Halpin was 112th (1:05:27).